From The Editor: My name is Judy Rasmussen, and I am pleased to serve as the new editor of the Braille Spectator. I have been a long-time member of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland and have served in many ways including State Treasurer for 20 years. I am a member of the Sligo Creek Chapter, which serves people in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Producing a newsletter packed with information, one that highlights the successes of our members, and presents blindness in a positive way is a tradition I will continue to uphold.

 

In this issue you will hear from our President, Melissa Riccobono, learn of our successful legislative efforts in Annapolis, meet Dan Cook, the President of the Upper Chesapeake Chapter, read about our Braille Readers Are Leaders party, learn about the activities of various Chapters to celebrate the 200th birthday of Louis Braille and much, much more.

 

Mark your calendars! The Sligo Creek Chapter will hold a buffet and auction to benefit the Scholarship Fund on October 17 at 6:30 PM. This fundraiser will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 9450 Cherry Hill Road, College Park. Tickets cost $30 and can be obtained by contacting Debbie Brown (301) 881-1892 or e-mail to 63characters@comcast.net.

 

You won't want to miss our annual State Convention to be held in Ocean City at the Carousel hotel from November 13-15. In addition to hearing presentations from agencies serving the blind, attending an NFBMD convention gives you the opportunity to meet new people, learn what's happening around the state, and be a part of an organization that is making a difference in the lives of blind and visually impaired people. Please complete the registration form provided with this newsletter. Transportation will be provided from Bel Air, Baltimore, and New Carrollton. This year, we are asking people to make their hotel reservations directly with the Carousel. Their number is: 800-641-0011. One of our most exciting outreach activities is the Possibilities Fair for Seniors Losing Vision. On October 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the National Center for the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD you will meet other seniors losing vision, discover many services available in your community, and learn about strategies to cope with vision loss. Registration is $20 which includes lunch. For more information on the Possibilities Fair, contact Melissa Riccobono at 410-235-3073 or Debbie Brown at 301-881-1892. Please download the Possibilities Fair flier from our nfbmd.org website. We look forward to seeing you there! We hope you enjoy this issue of the Braille Spectator. Ideas for future articles are always welcome. FROM THE PRESIDENT Greetings to all of you! My name is Melissa Riccobono, and I have been serving as NFBMD president since our state convention in November of 2008. I am writing this message in order to introduce myself, and to tell you a few things which have been done in hopes of improving communications in the NFBMD affiliate. A bit about me. I am originally from Wisconsin, where I received a BA in psychology and an MS in counseling psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My husband, Mark, and I moved to Baltimore in 2003, so Mark could take a job with the NFB Jernigan Institute. From 2004-2007, I was a school counselor at Logan Elementary School in Dundalk, MD. Our first child, Austin, was born in 2006. I resigned my counseling position in 2007 so I could stay home with Austin full time. I have been in the National Federation of the Blind since 1998. I served as president of the Wisconsin Association of Blind Students, the Dane County Chapter of the NFB of Wisconsin, the NFB Human Services Division, and the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the NFB of Maryland. Now I am taking on my greatest challenge--president of the NFB of Maryland. Communication is one of my biggest priorities as state president. I want the members of the NFBMD to know what is happening in the state and those who do not yet know the Federation to be able to find current information about us on the internet. I also want to make sure those who are not members, but have supported us in many ways over the years receive information about the work we are doing, and different ways they can help us with our mission. Therefore, I have created a state of Maryland NFB email list, helped to update and redesign the NFBMD website, and am working with others to ensure The Braille Spectator is published. The NFB of Maryland email list is a place for announcements about NFBMD activities, important information regarding initiatives of the NFB on a national level, and a forum where NFBMD members can communicate with one another about blindness related topics. To join this email list, please visit http://www.nfbnet.org. Click on "Join or Drop NFB Mailing Lists." Then click on "NFBMD" and fill out the form. I hope you enjoy reading the messages on this list, and that you post your own comments and questions so we can dialogue with one another about blindness, the NFB of Maryland, or the NFB on a national level. Please visit the newly designed and updated NFB of Maryland website at http://www.nfbmd.org. Get contact information for your local chapter president, find out about upcoming events, make a donation to the NFBMD online, and more! Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions concerning the website. I know many of you have missed The Braille Spectator in your mailboxes. I am sorry this newsletter was not published in 2008, or earlier in 2009. This was due to a variety of factors, but I am confident that with the help of a new editor, Judy Rasmussen, we will be on track for our usual two issues in 2010. We are always looking for articles or article suggestions. If you have either, please pass them our way! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Renee West for her work as past editor of this newsletter. Renee did a fantastic job as editor, but unfortunately, due to a change in life circumstances, Renee is unable to continue in this capacity. I would like to thank Judy Rasmussen for taking over the editorship; I know The Braille Spectator is in good hands. In the spirit of improved communication, I am anxious to hear your suggestions for future affiliate projects and fund raisers, ideas for legislative priorities, suggestions for items on the State Convention Agenda, etc. Also, I am always here to answer questions or concerns. Please feel free to contact me, Melissa Riccobono, President, National Federation of the Blind of Maryland; 1026 East 36th Street; Baltimore, MD 21218; 410-235-3073 president@nfbmd.org. I look forward to hearing from you, and working with you in order to strengthen our affiliate. Meet Dan Cook Resourceful, energetic and enthusiastic are three words that aptly describe Dan Cook, President of our newest Chapter. The Upper Chesapeake Chapter, covering Harford and Cecil Counties, joined our affiliate in the spring of 2009. Dan's original goal was to start a support group for seniors losing vision. He ran this group single-handedly for six years, but felt it was time to become a part of a bigger organization. He says he did much research to find a group whose mission is to educate the public about the needs of the blind. He was impressed with the wealth of literature from the NFB as well as the vast resources available to legally blind people and their families. Dan obtained a degree in civil engineering but found that he was very good at sales. He designed many high rise buildings, dams, hospitals, and sections of the subway tunnels for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He has always enjoyed interacting with the public and this skill will continue to be put to good use as he helps to build and grow this new Chapter. Dan is retired now and says he spends his days on the telephone talking with people losing vision, service providers, and anyone who has information he can pass on to his Chapter. Members are already hard at work distributing NFB literature to eye care professionals, County officials, dialysis clinics and other service providers. He is excited about the impact this Chapter will have in the Harford and Cecil County areas. Diabetic retinopathy took away his vision but did not diminish his spirit and desire to live a full productive life. We look forward to hearing more about this Chapter's activities in future newsletters.

 

Braille Activities

Promoting Braille literacy has long been a priority of the NFB and all its affiliates.  Over 25 years ago, we began the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest to encourage children from kindergarten through the 12th grade to participate in a nationwide  contest to see who could read the most pages in a specified time.  Several hundred children have participated in this program and many of them have now completed their college educations and are using Braille on a daily basis in the workplace.

In conjunction with the national Braille Readers Are Leaders contest, the NFB of Maryland holds two events each year--one at the Maryland School for the Blind to kick-off the contest and one at the National Center for the Blind to celebrate the winners.  In honor of Louis Braille's 200th birthday, this year's theme centered around what it may have been like for Louis Braille growing up in the 1800's.  Songs, games, stories, prizes and many other activities made these events  both fun and memorable. Building relationships with tomorrow's leaders is both rewarding and necessary.

January 4 was a special day for blind people throughout the world. Two hundred years ago, Louis Braille was born and no one knew what impact his creation of a six-dot system for reading and writing would have on the lives of hundreds of thousands of blind people for generations to come.  Our affiliate celebrated Louis Braille's birth in many ways.  Teaching Braille classes, playing Braille games at children's festivals and in malls, holding events at libraries and at Barnes & Noble bookstores, creation of a wonderful window display at the Enoch Pratt library, and reading to children were just a few of the many events designed to educate the public about the importance and necessity of Braille to increase literacy. We remain committed to promoting activities to help children and adults learn Braille! 

The NFB of Maryland is proud to have begun a new program which is now being  replicated in several states.  This program is entitled, Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Nonvisual Learning (BELL). The purpose of the two-week summer program   is to give visually impaired students from kindergarten through elementary school an opportunity to improve their Braille skills and to participate in many other activities designed to increase their overall independence. Skills were  taught by blind role models and learning took place in many ways other than the classroom. In the next issue of the Braille Spectator, you will hear  more about this summer's activities, as we will be holding a second BELL program with the help of an Imagination Fund grant and the NFB Jernigan Institute.

 

            Brandon’s Braille

Published April 8, 2009

McHenry boy speaks during Washington coin unveiling

By Sarah Moses

Cumberland Times-News

MCHENRY — Seven-year-old Brandon Pickrel was one of three children to speak at the unveiling of the Louis Braille 200th birthday commemorative silver dollar coin.

“It was a very prideful moment for us,” Trudy Pickrel, Brandon’s mother, said of the event held at the U.S. Mint in Washington [sic]. “He worked very hard on (the speech.) It was a proclamation that he and two other children read. To have a first-grader reading, there were people who were just very proud of how he’d done reading Braille.”

Brandon, a McHenry resident and first-grader at Accident Elementary, has been learning to read Braille since he was 2 years old, Trudy said, but he is still learning what is called contracted Braille. Contracted Braille, rather than spelling out individual letters, has a specific symbol for a word. Brandon has knowledge of phonics and first-grade Braille.

“I don’t like to read, but my favorite book is ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ but I can’t read it myself,” Brandon said. “That’s because the big books are hard.”

His favorite book, like many others, is printed in contracted Braille, his mother said, but he is continuing to learn, which was especially important for the proclamation he read when the National Federation for the Blind [sic] unveiled the commemorative coin.

Brandon said he was just a little nervous when he went up to speak, but that he was very excited before and had even bounced on the hotel beds. Both his parents and his two younger sisters attended the unveiling ceremony with him.

Part of Brandon’s speech, Trudy said, was to express concern that only about 10 percent of blind children in America are being taught Braille. She added that 90 percent of employed blind people use Braille and that $10 from the sale of each coin will go toward Braille Literacy in America.

Brandon was the youngest of the three who spoke, and many people in attendance reportedly were impressed with the larger words he had to read from the proclamation.

Children who are neither fully blind nor fully sighted are made to rely on the little sight they have, Trudy said, and that was part of the reason she has advocated bringing a vision teacher to Garrett County. Many of these children learn to read faster with Braille and could use it as an added tool.

This was not the first time Brandon has been asked to speak, and he has not only spoken at other events but recently was the recipient of a gift to help him purchase a laptop and software from the Deep Creek and Friendsville Lions clubs.

To Trudy, one of the best parts of having Brandon speak at the coin unveiling was that it gave him the opportunity to meet a variety of people, including a NASA engineer, the special assistant to President Barack Obama for disability policy, a singer, doctors, lawyers and parents who were all legally blind.

“I liked it,” Brandon said. “I can read and write. I can go to college.”

Because of his recent speech, Brandon and his sisters were invited to the White House on Thursday to participate in the annual egg roll.

http://www.times-news.com/archivesearch/local_story_098090658.html

 

 

            Thurmont boy wants to encourage use of Braille

Originally published April 09, 2009

By Stephanie Mlot

THURMONT -- Wise beyond his 12 years, Jason Polansky knows that life isn't perfect.

"I have a positive attitude about things," he said. "Life is good, but you're always going to have mountains to climb over."

The Thurmont Middle School seventh-grader has had plenty of hikes, having been born with bilateral anophthalmia, a rare syndrome causing a baby to be born with empty eye sockets.

Jason is completely blind. He has undergone several surgeries and has a pair of glass eyes. But he swims, plays the piano and has an exercise regimen that could rival any adult's.

He also likes to talk.

"It's what I do best," he said.

On March 26, Jason used his talent for speech in Baltimore at a ceremony by the National Federation of the Blind, celebrating the release of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar in Baltimore.

"A person from the NFB called and asked if I wanted to speak, and we said yes," Jason said. He joined two other blind children in reading a proclamation for the launch of the coin.

"I don't get nervous," he said. "I just get up there and talk."

For $10 each, [sic] 400,000 coins have been minted and are being sold. A portion of the money from sales will be used to support the federation's "Braille Readers Are Leaders" campaign, a national initiative created to double the number of blind children learning Braille by 2015.

"I think they can do it," Jason said.

If Louis Braille were alive today, he wouldn't be happy, Jason said.

"All that work he did to create the system, and only 10 percent of blind people can read Braille," Jason said.

For him, the event was a place to talk and meet people, but it also signified that more people will be given the opportunity to learn Braille.

Jason wants to take his passion for oration to a grander scale. He hopes to become a motivational speaker one day.

"I want to inspire people to live their lives and God will help you through whatever you're going through," he said. "That's just how life is, you know?"

He paused when he was asked his biggest struggle in coping with blindness.

"I don't know if anything's difficult," he said. "Sometimes people don't think I can do things. Sometimes people are overprotective, like, 'Oh, do you need help? Let me hold your hand.'"

Jason said sometimes it's hard because people aren't educated enough and don't realize that blind people can be independent and live their lives, just as he does.

His independence has led him to play the role of personal GPS to his parents. "When he was younger, he wanted us to read him maps," said Susan Polansky, his mother.

Now, Jason can lead himself around much of downtown Frederick and Francis Scott Key Mall, not to mention Baltimore.

"It's just my thing, you know?" he said, laughing.

"We're pretty proud of him," Susan Polansky said. "He's just a regular kid who happens to be blind."

When the Frederick Kiwanis Club invited Jason to speak, club members asked his mother if he would be OK visiting, because they didn't want to make him feel self-conscious.

"Jason said, 'I can't understand why anyone would think it would make me feel sad to talk about being blind. There's nothing to be sad about,'" his mother said.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  It's not too late to obtain your own Louis Braille Bicentennial Commemorative silver dollars.  They must be purchased before December 31, 2009.  You may buy these coins at www.usmint.gov or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (800-872-6468).  For more information, visit www.braille.org.

 

            Protecting the Rights of Blind Parents and Caregivers: A Report on the 2009 Session of the Maryland General Assembly

By: Sharon Maneki

The 2009 session of the Maryland General Assembly was a busy one for the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.  As usual, we had an early start with 50 federationists visiting delegates and senators on January 22.  We asked the General Assembly to enhance pedestrian safety by extending the Maryland Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety Task Force through December 31, 2010.  Taking care of unfinished business from the 2008 sessions, we asked legislators to protect the rights of blind parents and caregivers so that they may continue to care for their children.  We also recommended that the Public Accommodation Rights section of Maryland laws be amended to include the Internet. 

Last year Delegate James Malone and Senator Norman Stone introduced legislation creating the Maryland Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety Task Force.  This task force was to study the problem that Hybrid Vehicles caused to all pedestrians, but especially to those who are blind.  This task force issued a report outlining the problem and recommended that they be given additional time to make recommendations on a solution to this difficult problem.  We whole-heartedly supported the task force recommendation.  Once again, Delegate Malone and Senator Stone introduced companion bills HB 367 and SB 370, which extended this task force through the end of 2010.  This date was selected because the Clean Cars Act will go into effect in January 2011.  The Clean Cars Act will encourage greater use of hybrids and other quiet vehicles.  I am pleased to report that Governor O’Malley signed this legislation into law on May 7, 2009. 

Too many blind parents and caregivers faced discrimination concerning the care of children if they tried to adopt a child, were involved in a custody dispute, or wanted to care for a grandchild or other relative.  Last year, Delegate Sandy Rosenberg and Senator Lisa Gladden helped us start the process of protecting parents’ rights.  Their legislation was enacted, protecting the rights of blind parents involved in Children in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases.  This year, Delegate Rosenberg and Senator Gladden completed the job that we began last year by extending the legislation to include custody and adoption cases.  This legislation protects the rights of all persons with disabilities including the blind. 

May 19 was a proud day for our brave blind parents and caregivers who told their painful stories to the legislature so that others would not face the humiliation and discrimination that they had to bear.  Governor O’Malley signed HB 689 and SB 613 into law on that date (See Governor O’Malley’s press release elsewhere in this issue).

The National Federation of the Blind has a long history of promoting civil rights.  We always look for new opportunities to ensure that blind people receive equal treatment under the law.  Delegate Joanne Benson introduced HB 417 and Senator Jamie Raskin introduced its companion SB 737, to offer greater protection to persons with disabilities against discrimination in public accommodations.  This legislation would have expanded the definition of a public accommodation to include the Internet.  It would have also granted persons with disabilities a private right of action in cases of discrimination in public accommodation.  Although this legislation failed in Senate and House committees, we at least began the process of educating legislators about the lack of access and about the discrimination that blind people continue to face because of it.

Over the years, we have been informing the Maryland General Assembly about the problems we face in gaining access to information in textbooks used in all levels of education.  Therefore it was most appropriate for us to request amendments to the Maryland College Textbook Competition and Affordability Act of 2009.  One of the provisions of this act instructs the Maryland Higher Education Commission to conduct a study about the feasibility of using eBooks to reduce the cost of textbooks to students.  Because of the adoption of our amendments, this study will also include an examination of nonvisual access issues.  Many thanks to Senator Joan Carter Conway and Delegate Henry Heller for their leadership in ensuring the adoption of these amendments. 

Many thanks to everyone who testified and sat through the long committee hearings, who wrote letters, who made phone calls, and who visited delegates and senators.  Many thanks also to our many friends in the Maryland General Assembly who continue to work in partnership with us to improve the lives of blind persons.  We look forward to continuing our work together in the years ahead. 

Note: Many thanks to delegate Sandy Rosenberg, the sponsor of HB 689 and Senator Lisa Gladden, the sponsor of SB 613. Below is a press release from the O’Malley administration describing the importance of this legislation for persons with disabilities. The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland was the leader in promoting this legislation. Many thanks to the parents and guardians who were willing to explain the discrimination they faced to the Maryland General Assembly during the past two years.

Governor Signs Custody Bill

On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, Governor Martin O'Malley signed House Bill 689.   The bill prohibits a court from considering a disability of a parent, guardian, or custodian of a child when determining whether to grant custody and guardianship of the child.  The law further prohibits a local department of social services, guardian, or a child placement agency, in adoption proceedings, from withholding consent to an adoption solely because a prospective adoptive parent has a disability.  It also prohibits the court, when ruling on adoption petitions, from denying the petition solely because the petitioner has a disability.  "House Bill 689 sends a clear message that people with disabilities in Maryland have the same right to parent as others and they no longer have to fear that a neighbor or social service agency would question their capabilities to parent simply because they have a disability," said Governor O'Malley.  "It is another example of how we are 'Putting Families First' and ensuring that our laws strengthen our families and our kids."

 

Blindness not an obstacle

Centennial senior to graduate in top tier

By Sarah Daniels

Posted 5/22/08

For Centennial High School senior Nikki Singh, 17, high school has had an added challenge.  Singh, who is blind, found her way through the halls using a cane, read books in Braille and used a special computer to help her with assignments.

Despite these challenges, Singh excelled in her classes.

As one of the top students in Centennial's class of 2008, Singh was scheduled to be one of two student speakers at the school's May 22 graduation ceremony at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

In the fall, she will be off to Yale University and is considering attending law school after she earns her undergraduate degree there.

"I'm excited," Singh said. "I'm very happy to get in" to Yale.

Judy Ryan, an English teacher at Centennial, described Singh as "incredibly sweet and very bright," and a passionate and prolific poet.

"I have always been in awe of what she's able to do," Ryan added. "She's just amazing."

Singh is among the approximately 3,700 students who are expected to graduate from Howard County's 12 public high schools over the next two weeks.

She was born in India and came to the United States when she was three. She moved to Howard County from Pennsylvania six years later. Her parents were attracted to America because of its economic opportunities and the available medical treatment for her glaucoma, a condition she has had since birth, Singh said. Singh lost her vision to glaucoma when she was 11.

"It's never convenient to go blind, but it was an adjustment," she said.

Singh uses a laptop computer loaded with specialized software that reads text out loud. She also learned to read Braille and to use a cane to navigate on her own.

During those times when visual activity occurs in her classes, such as in a science lab, Singh asks one of her classmates to describe the scene to her. During her years at Centennial, Singh has taken many of the school's most demanding courses, including several advanced placement classes, Latin and physics. While she excelled in quantitative classes such as calculus, she favors English, Latin and European history.

"I like words," Singh said. "I like the way words sound and I like to know from where words came." An avid poet, she has recently turned her attention to writing short fiction. Some of her work has been published in local literary magazines and newsletters, she said, adding that she plans to continue to write.

Michael Siegert, a math teacher at Centennial, taught Singh for two years. Singh is one of the most exceptional students he has encountered in 34 years of teaching, Siegert said. "The fact that she's blind, it's nearly incomprehensible to me that she's able to achieve what she does." he said. "... She's quite a unique person."

Singh chalks her achievements up to curiosity, saying she likes to think and explore new ideas. "I like to learn stuff but I don't like to study really," she said with a laugh.

 

Behold the Possibilities

 

On Thursday, October 1, the NFBMD, in partnership with AARP, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Rehabilitation Services, the Maryland State Library for the Blind, the Maryland Technology Assistance Program, and others, will be holding a Possibilities Fair for Seniors Losing Vision and their families.  This fair will take place in the Members Hall of the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, 1800 Johnson Street; Baltimore, MD 21230.  The fair will begin at 9:30 AM and end at 2:30 PM.

The primary goals of this Possibilities Fair are to:

Deliver information useful to seniors who are losing vision using positive role models whenever possible;

Demonstrate alternative techniques used by blind and visually impaired individuals in a manner that encourages their use by seniors who might otherwise be reluctant to use such equipment and techniques because they perceive that these helpful tools are only for totally blind individuals; and

Introduce seniors to the important mentoring role of the NFB.

 

The Possibilities Fair for Seniors Losing Vision will address the twin problems of helplessness and isolation faced by seniors. 

We address the feelings of helplessness which result from a lack of knowledge through a series of stations and demonstration areas designed to engage participants in fun, educational activities.  For example, we plan to set up a mobility demo area where skilled blind travelers will demonstrate how useful a white cane can be even if an individual still has some usable vision.

We will give seniors a chance to experience how the cane, properly used, can help them to determine changes in the contour of a walking surface without having to look down and how the cane helps others know that the senior’s vision is limited. In addition, we plan to demonstrate NFB-NEWSLINE, our newspaper by telephone system, which thousands of blind and low vision individuals use nationally.

 

Overcoming isolation requires positive role models of seniors and others who have confronted the fears associated with vision loss and resumed full and normal lives.  We are uniquely suited, through our membership network of thousands of blind people, to link seniors with mentors who will contact them after the fair, providing encouragement and answering the day-to-day "how to" questions that arise.  More than anything else, this single component of our fair makes it unique and results in positive outcomes.  People need to see success in order to believe it.

It is not too late to register for this fantastic event yourself, or pass along this information to friends and family who might benefit from attending.  The registration fee is $20, which includes lunch and a goody bag full of helpful products and resources.  To register online, or to print an event flier and registration form, please visit http://www.nfbmd.org.  If you have questions, please contact Melissa Riccobono at (410) 235-3073 or president@nfbmd.org.

We are also looking for volunteers to help during the fair, and blind mentors to follow up with seniors after the fair.  If you are interested please contact Melissa Riccobono at (410) 235-3073 or president@nfbmd.org.  We hope to see many of you in October!

 

 

Spectator Specks

We have many Specs to write about from 2008 and 2009.  We apologize if we have missed some important announcements in this column.

            Graduations

Diane Grant graduated from Towson University with a BA in psychology. She plans to get a job.

Quantrise Smoot graduated from St. Mary’s College with a BA in political science.  She plans to work for a while to save money and then to attend law school. 

Thomas Ampomah graduated from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia. He hopes to get a job in the childcare field.

Rachel Becker graduated from Tuscarora High School in Frederick.  She is attending Notre Dame College in Baltimore. 

Gary Camerer graduated from Overlea High School and Finance Academy in Baltimore County. He completed the training program at the Louisiana Center for the Blind and is going to a college in Louisiana.

Nikki Singh graduated from Centennial High School in Ellicott City.  She is attending Yale University.  She won a national NFB scholarship at our 2008 Dallas convention.

The following people graduated from Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School:

Lauren Garrison, who  currently attends Baltimore County Community College (Catonsville campus)

Sherita Matthews who plans to join the work force.

Eric William who plans to attend Baltimore County Community College (Essex campus)

Nikos Daley graduated from the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio with a BS in Mental Health. Nikos will attend the rehabilitation program at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. After completing this program, he hopes to get a job in Pastoral Counseling.

Amy Herstein graduated from The University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a BA in English. She hopes to get a job teaching English as a second language.

Dianna Maurer graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BS degree in Operations Management and Logistics, Transportation, and Supply Chain Management. She plans to get a job.

Corey Thompson received an associate’s degree in general studies from Montgomery Community College in Rockville. She already has a job with the Veteran’s Administration.

Rachel Becker, a long-time Federation member, was one of 30 students to win a national NFB scholarship at the 2009 Detroit convention.  Over 400 students apply for these scholarships annually.

Denzel Ferges, president of the Maryland Association of Blind Students, graduated from the Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School in Baltimore City. He plans to attend the rehabilitation program at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland. After completing this program, he hopes to go to college. Other students who also graduated from Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School this year were Rogee Dance, Brittany Metts, Marvin Price, and Jeanae Samuel.  Congratulations to all the graduates.

 

            Wedding Bells

On May 27, 2008, Raymond Branch and Joanne Preston were married. Many readers know the friendly voice of Raymond Branch as the switchboard operator who answers the many phone calls that come to the National Center for the Blind each day. He is also a long time member of the Greater Baltimore Chapter. Joanne has joined Raymond at many state conventions.

On December 27, 2008, Holly White married Alex Steed. Holly is the daughter of long time federationists Loretta and Joe White and she is the sister of Nicole White. Holly attended many state conventions and was a mainstay in providing childcare at Conventions and many other NFB events.

On June 18, 2009 Jesse Hartle and Mary Jo Thorpe were married in Baltimore.  Jesse is a governmental specialist for the National Federation of the Blind and Mary Jo is an education program manager at the Jernigan Institute.  These long time federationists originally met at the Louisiana Center for the Blind.  After separately relocating to Maryland and working at the National Center for a few years they have decided to build their lives together as a couple.   Congratulations and Best Wishes to the newlyweds.

 

            Deaths

We are sorry to report the death of Bill Cater on June 22, 2008. Bill was a long time member of the Central Maryland Chapter and served as its president for several years. Bill enjoyed encouraging seniors to continue on as active members of the community. He was an excellent role model and we will miss his humor and dedicated spirit.

Doug Strobel died suddenly on January 17, 2009. Doug graduated from the Colorado Center for the Blind and was attending college in Denver. Over the years, Doug attended many NFB of Maryland student activities. He made great progress toward independence in his short life. We will miss his enthusiasm.

We are also sorry to report the death of Harold Snider on June 26, 2009. Harold died suddenly of a heart attack. He was planning to attend his 37th annual national convention. Harold accomplished many things. He helped to start NFB Newsline in 1994. He promoted disability rights in numerous countries all over the world. He was a long time member of the NFB and a friend to many blind people. May he rest in peace.

 

Achievements

Kurt Herzer, who won a state scholarship in 2006 is on his way to a bright future in medicine and health policy. He is one of 40 winners of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship program, which selects graduate students from across the United States to study in the United Kingdom and serve as ambassadors for relations between the US and the UK. He also won the Truman scholarship which is a national scholarship given to one student per state committed to careers in public service. After a year of study at Oxford, Kurt plans to attend medical school at Johns Hopkins University.

Matthew Lipsey who is in the 6th grade in the Baltimore County public school system won the Yes I Can! Award (for advocacy) from the Council of Exceptional Children. The award includes a trip to Seattle, Washington where Mathew will receive a trophy and a letter from the President of the US.

Christopher Nusbaum, a 5th grader at Runnymede Elementary School in Taneytown, MD was named a Carson scholar for 2009. At the banquet at Martin’s West on April 26, 2009, Christopher received a $1,000 college scholarship and was able to meet Colon Powell and Dr. Ben Carson. The scholarship was awarded by The Carson Scholars Fund, a non-profit organization founded in 1994 by Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson and his wife, Candy. Scholarships are awarded to recognize a student’s academic achievement and community service. Each school may only recommend one student. In addition, Christopher placed third in his age division at the national Braille Challenge, sponsored by the Braille Institute of America in Los Angeles.  Christopher and his parents, Mike and Wendy, are long time members of the NFB of Maryland. Congratulations to Christopher on this outstanding achievement.

 

            New Baby

On  December 20, 2008, Jacob Taylor Adkins came into the world weighing nine pounds. His proud parents, Jason and Sue, are enjoying life with their first-born son. Jason has served as the president of the Greater Cumberland Chapter and Sue is its treasurer. Congratulations to the new family.

 

The Braille Spectator

SUMMER 2009

 

Judy Rasmussen, Editor

 

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, an affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, is a non-profit organization of blind people whose purpose is to promote equal opportunities for the blind.  We provide advocacy services for the blind, special training programs for parents of blind children, job referrals and placements for the blind, public education programs, scholarships to blind students, and help the newly blind to acquire special techniques for maintaining productive lives.

 

The Braille Spectator is published for members of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland and others who share an interest in the work of this organization.  The recorded edition is available on cassette and can be obtained upon request. The Braille Spectator is also available in a Microsoft Word format file at http://www.nfbmd.org.

 

Send all inquiries, donations, news items, articles, letters to the editor, address changes and additions to the circulation list to the NFB of Maryland, 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, MD 21045.

 

 

 

            Officers of the NFB of Maryland

 

Melissa Riccobono, President

Debbie Brown, First Vice President

Barry Hond, Second Vice President

Judy Rasmussen, Secretary

Shawn Jacobson, Treasurer

 

 

            Members of the Board of Directors

 

Darlene Barrett

Ray Jackson

Pauline Johnson

Sharon Maneki

Latonya Phipps

Renee West

 

 

            CHAPTERS AND DIVISIONS OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF MARYLAND

 

Baltimore County Chapter

Ruth Sager, President (410) 602 9030 email: rsager@bism.org

Monthly meetings fourth Thursday

 

Central Maryland Chapter

Darlene Barrett, President (410) 997-9664

Monthly meetings first Tuesday

 

Delmarva Chapter

Ray Jackson, President (410)543-8371

Monthly meetings second Saturday

 

Greater Baltimore Chapter

Chris Danielsen, President (410) 659-9314 email: cdanielsen@nfb.org

Monthly meetings third Saturday

 

Greater Cumberland Chapter

Jason Adkins, President (301) 759-3232 email: silver1003@verizon.net

Monthly meetings fourth Thursday

 

Sligo Creek Chapter

Debbie Brown, President (301) 881-1892 email: 63characters@comcast.net

Monthly meetings second Saturday

 

Upper Chesapeake Chapter

Dan Cook, President (410) 838-1198 email: uccnfb@comcast.net

Monthly meetings second Saturday

 

Parents of Blind Children Division

Susan Polansky, President (301) 274-2710 email: sepolansky@verizon.net

 

Maryland Association of Blind Students

Denzel Ferges, President (410) 534-3458

 

Senior's Issues Division

Ruth Sager, President (410) 602 9030 email: rsager@bism.org